When we went to the 'Unfestival - Spaces between Words' Writers Retreat sponsored by the JSW at Kaladham, Vidyanagar, we vaguely knew that the idea was to compile writing that we generated in those 10 days. I wrote randomly - most times just to meet the daily deadline, sometimes to indulge a passing fancy, and one that seriously captured my imagination. By the end, I had written five pieces - an article of what the 'Spaces between Words' meant to me, another on my search for inspiration on the Vidyanagar campus, a long 5000 word piece on the 'Inspire Insitute of Sports' an article dedicated to my friends at the retreat - a profile of each as I saw them and one as an afterthought, a cricket fiction centred around Kaladham.
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| This is how the 4 page supplement appeared in The Hindu on August 17, 2019 |
Somewhere along the way the idea of publishing as a book was shelved and the idea of making a supplement in The Hindu came about. With the shortage of space the pieces had to be shelved, some edited. My 5000 word article became a 1250 word piece.
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| My article on the front page - my terrified plea used as an introduction |
Finally the supplement came out yesterday in The Hindu - in some localities. As luck would have it not in our locality of course - but thankfully Nalini saw it and so did Sridhar from our MBA group and Gunu and I picked up a couple of copies. It was well designed and eye-catching.
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| My second article - the 5000 word one edited to 1250 or so |
I wrote the piece pasted below as my tribute to the team - the things about them that I observed and the things that I will take away with me. It was meant to be shared in the group but Sathya felt that it could go into the book as well. But since it won't make the book, here it is on my blog.
The Unfestival Eleven
That's 9 - Shubra, Vishakha, Nimmi, Hash, Piyush, Sharon, Brandon, George and me
Sathya, who I feel has found the perfect
balance between the inside and outside, and it enables her to retain a child-like
wonder and enthusiasm that she balances with a clear and rational judgment. The
way she says just the right thing, with just the right number of words to
create what she wants, the way she holds the energy in the space without
exerting any push or pull. Like water in an open palm, she lets it lie and
allows things to unfold. Watching her walk all across Hampi, climb into the
window without a moment’s hesitation at the Queen’s Bath to pose for Sharon’s
picture (after I politely refused), climbing the 575 steps to the Hanuman
temple, giving it back to the rude priest at the Pampa sarovar, listening
keenly and intently to every piece of reading at the end of each day at
Kaladham and finding something good and constructive about it to build on are
all memories that will stay with me. What will always remain is the way she reacted
after she heard a pup crying faintly (I did too, but did not think much of it),
walked across an open field searching for it, found it trapped between stones
and helped it out. The little pup could well have died yelping for help if Sathya
had not done that. Net time I hear a cry for help, I might not ignore it as I
did earlier.
Shubra, with her zest for life, food,
music, movies, for good writing and all things good about life. For being so
comfortable as she is, in her own skin with all her vulnerability. Her wearing
her feelings on her sleeve, be it worrying about not having anything to write that
day, worrying about taking the leap into starting a restaurant, the way her
eyes light up when she talks about good writing. She is someone I can identify
with, surely everyone does, for being such a sport. I love the way she says ‘I
am too nice’ when she gets saddled with extra work but she goes ahead and does
it. Just as she says ‘Óh you are a nice guy too’ when she realises I am doing something I
am not fully convinced about too. She is someone who is just that – nice- and
makes the world a nicer place for that. That niceness coupled with that
mischief that’s always around is what I take away.
Nimmi, who is this feisty person, a force
of nature, this shakthi, with not an artificial bone in her, happy in her life,
her experience, her silence, her art. Always ready to explode, with so much
energy wound up inside her. But then so deeply thoughtful, who keeps her
problems to herself, as one can see when she walks off to talk seriously into
her phone and deals with her fears and apprehensions privately, and spreads
only the good that she can publicly. She will give a massage if you look tired,
offers to sit on the floor when Brandon looks ill, gets completely concerned
when Sharon is unwell, hugs you till you feel that you are indeed a special
person and deserve that time and warmth, laughs brilliantly at everything, does
all she can to make an insecure world more secure. There won’t be another like
her. This compassion, this spirit, this ability to let life flow through is
what inspires me.
Brandon, calm and meditative, thoughtful
and insightful, fun and creative, and so very talented. The gentle way he does
things – I feel it comes from a compassion that is deep rooted in him. A compassion
that is evident even when he writes an angry letter. I will never forget him
singing ‘The Dark Side of Beautiful’ passionately or even all those 80s Hindi
film songs, will not forget him battling his fever alone and quietly, his joy
and relief at finding a compassionate doctor whose memory just ‘makes him
cry’. The chat we had while climbing down the
sunrise hill, talking of all things from spirituality to high performance and
connecting them all was one of the most animated conversations I have had in a
long time. The gentleness, intelligence and honesty he brings to the world, the balls to be
himself, his style, his storytelling ability, his presence and his wholehearted
laughter apart - the spine that he carries in his slender frame is what stays with
me.
Vishakha, who is so talented and quietly
observant, who picks up the right cues and angles perfectly, who softly gets it
all done. There is no denying the thought that goes into all she does, the
connections she makes between random things – the painting she drew of the
bath, the gate and the temple for example, which could be viewed either way.
For one so young, she is so mature in her outlook. I was so impressed with the
way she got coach Antony Yaich and athlete Elakkiya at the Inspire Institute of
Sports to pose for her - just right. I am impressed with her questions on what I
teach and her genuine interest to learn. But mostly, I admire this quality of
hers where she says she will do it, and it is done. You can trust her to do anything
in the world and she will not hesitate or say no, however difficult it is, and
will simply get it done. And I am sure – so it will be with all she chooses to
do in her life.
Sharon, feisty and firebrand, knowledgeable
and energetic, who genuinely seeks not just to know but to understand, who
lives life fully, experiments and is ready for the consequences. Like wearing a
tiara of flowers and then waiting patiently for them to be disentangled, one by
one! She knows the lyrics of songs and what they mean, writers and literature, aerialist
who knows malkhamb, rides Jawa and Bullet bikes, belongs to biker groups, knows
why boulders are like that in Hampi, what time the Sandur market opens and
closes, anything actually. There is a sharpness, a quick wittedness, a fight,
in her and one would like to be like that. Also one senses that she is someone
who is very loyal, quick to help. With all the talent within her, the many
things she can do effortlessly and confidently, one knows she will breakout big
time when she wants to. The poem she read was ample proof of what she is
capable of. The concentration and intelligence she brings to her work, the
mischief she has and the capacity to feel deeply will stay, but mostly from
her, her energy, her spunk and her quest to know and to execute – are what I
take away.
Piyush, who is someone you cannot ignore
because he has this personality that fills the room, this smile and warm
greeting that you cannot not be drawn into. He is incredibly talented and
highly accomplished – sings, writes, directs, comes up with great ideas, has
great energy and is full of confidence. On the other side is someone who has
this vulnerable side to him that shows up, as he says, like the boy who is
forever fifteen, curious, wanting things to move on, unsure with silences and
structure. Piyush is someone who has seen and experienced much, and has much to
share. Big hearted, open, keeps the group going and together, says it as he
feels. I remember the walks, the PBC jokes, his energetic singing all the way
back from Hampi, the talks, the age discussion, his first date story on the bus
in Mumbai, his clear views on fundamentalism, on sustainable practices, his
lesson to me and George on how to quote for our projects are all etched deep in
my mind. Piyush it was, who proposed watching ‘Gully Boy’at the JNox, organised Mangalore lunch and an Andhra meal for all those who
wanted a change from the Convertor, bought jackets with George at the tailoring
school, framed brilliant pictures, played eclectic music – always adding
something to the moment. But it is that
aspect – that paradox between that Bombaiya confidence and the vulnerability of
the 15 year old that’s most endearing.
Chandrahas, Hash, who looks at life with
mild amusement, which appears to be a good way to look at it. Not to take it
too seriously. Who has his world in control – the coffee pot he carries with
himself to make the perfect coffee for himself, or his afternoon runs after
which he lies down on the lawn to gaze at the blue sky. Who plays football, and
knows his cricket. Who keeps to himself, but also has a watchful eye for all
that goes around. Like the way he picks up leftover glasses after the beer
sessions, or the way he asked if I needed help on the slippery Sivakoti rocks
during the coracle ride, not once, but twice. I was touched – not many ask me
if I need help. I admire his commitment to the craft, the way he makes his
notes. Mostly though, Hash’s one quality I would like to take away is the way
he enjoys what he does – the delight with which he reads what he had written
especially. That is something I would love to learn to do. Enjoy what I write,
what I do.
George, lost in his own world it appears,
as he shifts quietly to the back seat and into his art, away from the
limelight, but deeply observant and extremely clear about what he wants to do.
Constantly thinking ahead, fully aware. He has chosen a difficult path and
walks it without fear. I love it – what is an easy life anyway! Amazìng talent,
amazing flexibility as a person, superbly confident about himself and his work.
Writes the kind of stuff you are scared to even ‘like’ – so politically in the face.
Yet, caring and gentle, thoughtful and responsible – like the way he told me he
bought a book for Anjali which he says she will enjoy. Or about his cricket
career and his father’s cricket quizzes, his experiments with life. I believe he
hovers on the fringes, not to escape, but to keep a distance, not too close but
not too far, steps in when needed. Uncanny emotional intelligence, brutally
honest and perceptive - and it shows in his work. Nowhere in his work does he
try to explain – he treats his reader as someone who is capable of
understanding it. His clarity of vision, commitment to his craft and conviction
in what he does are highly inspiring to me. Just as his high Emotional Intelligence
and the way he is so comfortable to have around.
Shireen, who quietly gets things done,
exactly the way she wants, who brings a presence that seems to round it all off
for the group. Again a softness that I
believe is deceptive, a professionalism that is apparent. She has this ability
to create this space around her which is so easy for others and I find myself
pouring water for her, carrying her bags, giving her assurances on her worries
about her extra baggage, or how much time she has at the Bangalore airport, doing
the many things that I normally do not do for many others. I love the fact that
she does that, allows that and makes me, and surely so many others, feel
useful. This most elusive of qualities, to glide through life with such ease, to
ask and let things happen, to bring such an easy vibe to the group, I am most
inspired by.
Elisabeth, who merged effortlessly with the
group, which is a great quality for anyone to have – like sugar in water. The
care, thought and effort in her animation film and her choice of subjects reflect
in her actions and speech, her choices and reactions. The gentleness, patience
and empathy she brings to such difficult subjects impressed me just as the
political nature and the stand she chose to take. I was equally amazed at the
question she posed to Elakkiya Dasan, the Olympic probable at Inspire Institute
of Sports, and the wonderful moment it helped unfold. It will remain a moment I
cannot forget in my life and I cannot help but think that it was her
non-judgment of his capacity to answer an abstract question that allowed that.
I truly believe non-judgment is the way forward for me and this will be one of
the big things that Elisabeth has inspired in me.
